Technology has come a long way, and the use of tablets and smartphones provide apps for people of any taste, background and talent. There are apps for college students and toddlers, food connoisseurs and members of the military, and there are also plenty of apps out there for the music lover.

Whether you love to perform or simply enjoy the sounds of your favorite artists, the following are four apps that every music lover needs to have.

1. SoundHound

It always seems as if you hear a great song that gets stuck in your head but you have no clue who sings it or even what it’s called. You try to Google the lyrics, but you don’t generate any results, and when you try and sing it for a friend, they stare blankly at you. You don’t have to encounter this scenario any more if you have SoundHound. This app allows you to sing or hum a song into the app, and it will pull up a variety of songs that match the tune or lyrics to your entry. There is a free and paid-for version of the app, so feel free to download whichever makes more sense for you. It works extremely well, and it can be your newfound favorite to help you stock your music library full of good tunes.

2. Top 100s By Year

If you love listening to music from a variety of decades, then you’ll want to make sure your smartphone or tablet contains Top 100s By Year. This app allows you to choose a year and see the top 100 songs from that year. You can also preview the song to hear what it sounds like, or you can even see the music video through YouTube or purchase the song through iTunes without leaving the app.

3. Songkick Concerts

If you prefer to listen to live music, then Songkick Concerts is a great app for you. It searches through all the performances at a variety of venues in your area and provides you with a list of local concerts that are taking place near you. The app will also look through your iTunes library to alert you of artists that are coming to your area that you may enjoy. This is a great way to ensure that you don’t miss a show by one (or all) of your favorite performers.

4. Sir Sampleton

If making music is more of your forte, then Sir Sampleton is an app you will need. The app is a simple way to create your own music. Not only can you use the app to record your own tunes, but you can also use it to add vibrato, mix beats, and save all of your work in one convenient location. And even though it can do so much, the app is very simple to use. If you are trying to create the next best piece of music but you’re always on the go, Sir Sampleton can help you to keep working hard even while you’re traveling.

Martha Jones has a collection of easy piano songbooks which she is converting into an easy-access app for music lovers.